STRANGELY enough India are the only team England failed to beat in a Test series, home or away, during Duncan Fletcher's reign as coach.

STRANGELY enough India are the only team England failed to beat in a Test series, home or away, during Duncan Fletcher's reign as coach.

They performed with great credit, if not heroically, to draw 1-1 on the sub-continent last year, when Freddie Flintoff had the captaincy thrust on him at short notice and the side was decimated by the late withdrawals of Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick and Simon Jones.

But in English conditions, against a team notorious for travelling poorly, this is a chance to put the record straight - and for new coach Peter Moores (below) to achieve something his predecessor couldn't manage.

Let's not kid ourselves India will be easy meat: they held the Aussies to a draw in their own backyard three years ago, and England will need to hit the ground running at Lord's today.

It doesn't help their cause that Matthew Hoggard, such a reliable workhorse with the new ball, will probably be missing after he suffered a back spasm.

Hoggard's absence means England will go into a Test for the first time without any of their 2005 Ashes-winning 'Fab Four' attack (also featuring Flintoff, Jones and Steve Harmison) since they lost by an innings against Australia at The Oval in 2001.

Yesterday's setback reinforces Moores' warning to England supporters we may never see them bowl together again, and it also means England will field their most inexperienced attack since Flintoff, James Kirtley, Ashley Giles and Gareth Batty held the fort in Sri Lanka four years ago.

But it represents a great opportunity for Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad to usher in a new era and forge a new generation to succeed the 'Fab Four'.

Broad's height and lively pace will compensate England for the steep bounce Harmison's hernia injury has denied them, while Anderson will be an able deputy for Hoggard if he can replicate his form when England won in Mumbai 16 months ago.

But depleted attack or not, England have the firepower to beat India at home.

Monty Panesar has blossomed into a world-class spinner, and Ryan Sidebottom's disciplined line has been gratifying since he came into the side at Headingley two months ago.

But collectively, the bowlers will have to be bang on the money to dislodge India's middle order - which is probably the most exciting in world cricket.